Lucky Me
by ToxicCloudz
Summary: You, the Smart Girl of the Class, gets paired up with Ichigo Kurosaki for a class project. How will the two of you think about each other after realizing how much you need the other? Ichigo X Reader ONESHOT! I'M SERIOUS!


Day 1

As genius of the class and one of the smartest in the school, when a group project was announced, it didn't take long for students to shoot you glances as they quietly warned the others they called dibs. The attention was not a good one, but at least you were getting some form of notice.

Besides from the busy week or two you'd have to work with someone for a semester, you were pretty much alone in the world. No one paid mind to you, not even your mother, as she was a busy accountant. When she wasn't working though, she'd be at bars, or lying drunk on the couch. It was hard at first when you were young, but you learned later on that by taking some cash from her paycheck she brought home while preparing to go out, you had just enough to live and get by comfortably.

So as the teacher began to explain the project, majority in the class had already owned you as a partner. You knew you would do all the work, but hey, at least you now had a lunch table to sit at for the next few days.

The teacher caught majority if the class staring and shook her head in disappointment.

"I will be assigning the groups." she said. The class groaned in disagreement, but had no word in the matter. "Start writing up your ideas for the project and I'll present you to your partners."

You already knew what you would do and wasted no time. Reading a book you had found interesting a few days ago, the room soon blew into uproar as partners were paired up. You only waited quietly till the teacher called you up. Sadly though, she had waited till the last few minutes to do this, and before she could finish, the bell rang. Everyone quickly scrambled out, the teacher hollering out something before dashing out herself. You blinked, unsure of what to do; no one had been introduced to you as your partner. Maybe the teacher just forgot? Or maybe, you were doing it alone, either way, you'd get the project started tonight on your own.

Just as you started to pack away your belongings, a shadow crawled up along your desk and you turned your head to see it was. A recognizable student as almost everyone knew him. His orange hair and built body also stood out very well. Ichigo Kurosaki you thought to yourself. The boy stood next to you, a bit of a sheepish blush and shifting awkwardly in place. He wasn't good with introductions you guessed.

"Erm, hi, I'm Ichigo Kurosaki. The teacher told me that I was your partner?" he shrugged a bit. You nodded as you stood up.

"Nice to meet you. If you don't have an idea for the project, that's fine. I'll get started on tonight, so don't worry about it." You bowed your head before slipping away.

"W-wait, you're going to do it all by yourself?" he blinked. But you were already out of the class and far down the hall. You needed to beat rush traffic before mom got home so you could snag some money for the tools and a board.

After your dozen and a half jog down the blocks away from your school, you slipped open the door and peeked in.

"Hello?" you squeaked, but were answered back with the faint hiss of a shower running. You had just gotten home in time to catch your mom before she left and got drunk of her week's pay. You already knew where the money would be waiting to, and snatched a snack while taking a few bills from the small stack on the table. Passing the bathroom on the way to your room, you hollered out to let her know you were home, but she wouldn't hear you over her singing. Like almost every woman, she sung in the shower, and she had a pretty nice voice. Very clear, fluent and smooth unlike her deep, hoarse hiccups when she was intoxicated.

You changed into a little sweatshirt hoodie and some tight fitted jeans before venturing back out and down the road. Hey, a bookworm can have and outside life too.

Traffic was lively and the streets were filled with people and sounds. You liked it a bit; you could almost piece some little tune with the atmosphere sometimes and whistle along.

You found the shop you were looking for and bought some paper, a board, and a few groceries for the week before you went home. For some reason, while on your walk, you couldn't help but think about Ichigo. He wasn't the first to try and help you on a project, but he was the first to actually come up and volunteer to do it on his own. The teacher used to make kids do it at the beginning, but you guessed she got tired of it and eventually stopped. No one had time to hold kid's hands these days. Still, it made you think for a bit before you got back home. Mom was gone, of course, but it was pretty late. Deciding to procrastinate this once, you took a quick shower, made a small dinner, and went to sleep.

Day 2

The bell rang from lunch and everyone came back to class, stomach full and sharing old stories like always. You were already in your seat, book on your desk as you ate in class like always. You didn't have anywhere else to go anyways, so why bothering? Just as the last bell rang, your teacher blurted out something about spending the remainder of the class with your project partner before a chair screeched up next to you. Looking up, Ichigo sat across from you, arms crossed on the table and brown eyes locked on yours.

"So, are we going to work together now?" he asked. You furrowed a brow. Again he was going to jump forward and want to help.

You waved a hand "Don't worry about it. I'm going to get it started tonight and should have it done before the week is over." You turned back down to your book and turned the page.

Ichigo growled and leaned forward a bit. "This is a group project, right? That means I'm supposed to help you."

"I don't need help." You smiled.

"So what am I supposed to do?" he raised a brow.

You sighed and folded the corner of your page before closing your book and passed him a fake smile. "Just sit there and take all the credit." You nodded. Ichigo glowered at you, the stubborn boy wanting to help as his Dad already knew about this project going on in school, and if Ichigo didn't do his part, the old man would nag him to his grave. But you were stubborn to, and would do things your way with or without his permission or approval. Being raised alone, you were used to that way, and would stick with it.

With a sigh, the carrot top gave up on his first try and go back to his desk, a few of his friends starting up a conversation with him as he sat down. You never thought you could be so hard headed, but he was too. Who wouldn't want their partner to do the whole project for them? It was a huge walk in the park.

Ichigo still tried to start up a conversation with you through class, but you would shut him down and shoo him off if he ever asked if you needed help. It drove him nuts, but you still had it your way by the end of the day.

When you got home, your mother had left you some money on the table and a note telling you to go out and eat. It had been a while, and would visit a good restaurant down the street that you hadn't visited in a few months. They had a great steak and wonderful assortment of desserts.

You were happy and relaxed. When you walked out, you had noticed the streets were damp and puddles dotted the roads.

"Must've rained." You shrugged and skipped home. When you got into your room however, you found your window open, and your floor flooded with water. The board, the papers, including the tape and other tools used to piece everything together; soaked. Growling, you packed away all the waste into a bag and through them out before cleaning up your room. It was past midnight when you finished. You heard your mother return home drunk and alone as she stumbled into her room before passing out. Your whole perfect day had gone to ruin, and you would fall asleep, angry.

Day 3

You woke up angry the next day too. And as lunch finished again, the normal red head sat across from you once again.

"Before you say no, I think I have a really good idea for a project and would like for you to listen to it." He held his hands up in the air to hush you before you could speak, but you never bothered to even open your mouth. Sure you were angry, but you didn't have to unleash it on the boy.

After a long pause after what he said, you sighed "What is it."

"Wh-Wait, really? You want to hear it?" he blinked, brows raised in surprise.

"Did it sound like I said no?" you said dryly, face expressionless.

"Well… no, but- alright. Well, everyone is doing their project based off stats from the internet, yeah?" he muttered, in case anyone would over-hear of his ingenious idea. Since he was paired up with the smart girl, of course they wanted her ideas, but she never said anything in class so far.

"Yeah." You sighed again. You had already based your stats off both text book, history, and the current ones up on the internet.

"Well how about we ask actual people?" Ichigo grinned, leaning forward a bit excitedly. "Those stats are based off of tallies made in multiple cities filled with people we don't even know. Wouldn't it be cooler to ask the people in our town? Kinda makes things more fun." He nodded happily. He was putting everything to get you to let him help out with this project.

You thought over it for a quick second. It would stand out from the rest of the class which would make things more interesting which meant bonus points for creativity.

"It'll take longer if we do that."

"We have two weeks. It should be long enough." He nodded. You sighed and sat back in your seat.

"Alright… we'll do it your way." You grumbled. All your pre-planned work was now thrown down the drain. Ichigo was ecstatic though, and grinned in glee.

"You think of some questions and so will I. Then we can work together to pick out the best ones, write down a hypothesis, then we can go out to town." You smiled a bit. The carrot top just nodded in agreement as you spoke.

"Who gets supplies?" he asked, mind wondering to his wallet. He already spent enough on food that week for Rukia who wanted to suddenly go out and shop.

"I'll handle it." You chuckled. The boy blinked at you and stared hard. Your cheeks flushed a bit and turned your head away slightly.

"What are you staring at?" you asked, brows furrowed and lips pursed.

"You're giggle. It's cute." He laughed. You gaped and wanted to yell at him, but choked and turned your focus elsewhere.

The bell rang and you two bid goodbyes before you headed home. You still had a few extra change from what you had left the other day, so after going home, relaxing a bit, eating a snack and watching a bit of TV, you stuffed the cash into your pocket and trotted out.

The sun was setting rather early that day, but it made the city light on fire with lights and the horizon. People were enjoying the fine evening rather than rushing home and in a hurry. Slipping through crowds and across streets, you found the same store and began to search for everything. Surprisingly, everything was almost sold out.

"Wow, they're starting their projects early? That's a surprise." You smirked to yourself as you collected everything together. You used up almost all the money you had left over, but as you exited the store, you looked up to see that the vivid oranges and reds that painted the sky were now erased with light blues and faint purples. It was late, so you would want to rush home as soon as possible.

You took a short cut through some allies. Yeah, not the best idea, but those muggings and things only ever happened in stories anyways. You actually made it through them safely and were just two blocks from home now and on the main road. Since you were so close, you decided to slow down and walk calmly. The front door was practically in your view anyways. Heading towards the corner though, a group of people suddenly made it around the bend, which slowed you down even more, but as you pushed through and the crowd passed, you looked up to see two guys standing over you.

"Hey there little girl. Isn't it a little late for you to be out so late?" the fat one chuckled.

"It is a school night. School girls should be tucked away nice in warm in bed." The skinnier tall one grinned.

"I was just heading home, thank you." You huffed and began to walk away. The big one stepped in front of you though and blocked your path.

"No no, please, let us escort you. No one should walk home alone."

"It's fine, it's pretty close-"

"We insist!" The skinny one interrupted, grabbing your hand. You screamed loud and began to toss your limbs around. Calling attention was the best thing to do in these situations because attention scares away the bad guys.

"Shut up you!" the fat one hissed and covered your mouth. You bit down on his sticky flesh, and hard. He yelped and pulled his fist away.

"You little freak, that hurt!" he balled his fist and threw it back to hit you, when someone grabbed it before he swung.

"It's not nice to beat up on girls. Especially on school girls" growled a voice. Your adrenaline was pumping too fast to realize who it was, but your anger knew very well to react, and as the two turned over their shoulder to see who it was, they got a very nice introduction to your own fists. You weren't strong really, barely at all, but anger was more powerful than self-control, and you had to knock them at least once.

"Why you little-!" the skinny one hissed before his face was smashed into the nearby wall. Same for the fat one, but you moved aside in time and turned to see Ichigo rubbing their cheeks against the rough pavement of the wall.

"Guys like you make me really sick." He growled before throwing them back, landing on their rear ends as they hit the edge of the side walk.

"You're going to pay for that punk!" the big one growled as he was about to get up, but Ichigo's foot knocked him back once again. The lovely imprint across the side of his head would leave a very charming bruise for a few weeks. His companion received the same punishment, followed by the carrot top's fists.

You only stood away to the side and watched quietly as Ichigo made easy way with the two brutes. You were a bit shocked to see what a talented fighter he was, but were also slightly enjoying it. They never once got a finger on the teenager, and yet they were turning every shade of black and blue.

You were going to let him continue for a little while when you heard a commotion behind you and looked to see more of the gang members running over just a few blocks away.

"Uhm, Ichigo!" you squeaked. The young man was about to knock the skinny one along his jaw when your voice interrupted.

"Yeah?" he asked, brow raised. Your thumb was pointed back at the approaching gang, but Ichigo wasn't really surprised.

"Eh… Might break a few bones, but I can take them." He shrugged, throwing the battered man back down on the ground.

"Run!" you yelped, grabbing his wrist and bolting it down the street. You took him through the back entrance rather than the front where the group could follow you, and closed your door just in time as they came rushing past, hollering and threatening at you. Panting at the door way, it was only a two blocks rush, but the adrenaline still wore you two out.

Finally having enough composure to look at Ichigo, you caught him leaning against the wall. The two of you just stared at each other before bursting out laughing, clutching your stomachs in pain.

You never had this fun before. It was so new to you because you had always avoided big dangers like this. Actually, you've never been in a situation like that before, you just read enough books and watched enough TV to know very well on what to do.

"Sorry about that." You smiled sheepishly

"Don't apologize. Those guys are just assholes, they had it coming." Ichigo waved off. You smiled at him for a moment.

"You can take the front door. Knowing those guys, they'll be lingering in allies looking for you." You sighed as you lead him through the faint lit halls.

"If they do run into me, they'll be sorry." He laughed. You shook your head and opened the door for him, a whiff of cold city air blowing in.

"Try to avoid trouble. I don't need my project partner in the hospital." You smirked, but the boy just rolled his eyes and strolled out. You watched him make it down a block and around a corner before shutting the door and locking it.

You thought over your day as you headed to bed, rather tired. It was fun, and strange at the same time, but rather pleasing at the end.

Day 4

You had spent the day with Ichigo and talked, thinking over questions to ask the locals. You found out a lot more about Ichigo as you spent lunch with him up on the rooftop with his friends. You had seen them around class, but never really got to know them. They were rather sweet though, and the one girl, Rukia, was very curious about you.

You found Ichigo to be a rather stubborn, hot-headed, loyal, independent boy. Not a man, a boy, but a very mature boy. He was rather funny too when he got into fights with Rukia or Uryu, and couldn't hold back a giggle for long. Ichigo would tease at you sometimes for it, which made you throw a temper at him, but the two of you resolved soon later.

After school, you didn't waste time to go home, and went to a plaza to question the locals. Surprisingly, lots of them were very cooperative and gave very well explained answers, and a few even gave a few new ideas to ask. They varied their age groups from young, middle age and elders. The difference between some was rather shocking, as young people were caught up to middle age class, some even excelling over them while elders were more relaxed but on top of things at the same time. The conclusions were looking very well, and with so many helpful volunteers, you two might not even have to go back and question more people, and could get the project done early.

A few hours passed, and with so many results, the two of you decided to wrap it up and take the things back to your place. The board and supplies were there anyways, and Ichigo would rather not have you working around his annoying family. Their playful outgoing and weird personalities didn't seem to match up with you in his eyes.

The two of you stayed in the Living room, papers scattered and highlighting things, pointing out facts, occasionally yelling at each other over who's thoughts made more sense and laughed at a few old stories. It was nearly late at night, but it was the weekend, so the two of you didn't have to worry about school the next day. Finalizing some polls and statistics before finalizing them on the results on computer, the door suddenly opened to your dismay.

Your mother was plastered, and you forgot that tonight was one of her big nights to drink a lot since the bars gave away half off deals on Friday nights. Face going pale, you sighed at Ichigo and hushed him, promising an explanation later before standing up. Taking a few steps, your mother stumbled into the doorway, but to your surprise, with a man, almost nearly as wasted as her, but still collected.

"Oh, hey sweety." You mom grinned, hair in a heap and clothes shifted uncomfortably over her body. She relied on her new friend as support to keep up on her feet.

"This the girl you've been telling me about?" the man smirked.

"Mom, who's this?" you muttered.

"Oh! This is a new friend of mine! Isn't he sweet" she chuckled before nearly slipping to the side. The man caught her though and the two laughed.

"Who's your friend?" the man continued, peeking over you to see Ichigo standing in the back. Your mom noticed too and raised a brow.

"You brought a boy over? I had no idea that you started dating!" She gasped with a hiccup.

"Ma'am" Ichigo bowed his head a bit as he stepped up behind you. His warmth lingered on your back, giving you a bit of comfort, but also a bit of fear. This was so embarrassing! Your mom drunk, and with a date, just as wasted, and in front of your new REAL friend. Ichigo's respect for you must me diminishing by the second.

"He's kinda cute" your mother slurred with a sly flirtatious smirk. The heat in your cheeks was increasing by the second as the drunk man's eyes ran over Ichigo.

"You're a real punk, y'know?" he spat, tongue twisted in his intoxication.

"Excuse me, sir?" Ichigo asked in a low voice. You could feel the tension between the two, though their expressions and physical signs said otherwise. Your muscles tightened and bones stiffened as you counted down to when fists would fly.

The drunk date just chuckled and walked away. "Damn kids these days; thinking they deserve respect from me." He grumbled as he carried your mother off down the hall.

You sighed in relief as they pulled away, the static starting to cease and heaviness in the air lifting. You knew Ichigo could kick his ass and do it very well. Turning to escort him back to your project, you found him standing stiff and refusing to room. You looked up at him in worry, but found his gaze on the stranger down the hall.

Things weren't over yet.

"It's a bit hard to respect someone when they're a drunk old geezer who can't get a real decent date and feed off poor drunk women." He growled low, but high enough for everyone in the room to hear.

The world seemed to stop, sound ceased to exist and hell rose from the ground beneath you.

"What did you say boy?!" the man hissed before turning around, taking one big step towards Ichigo, fist ready to swing, but the teenager boy dodged and knocked him in the gut.

It was enough to put the man back on his ass, and more than enough to make him give up.

"I don't have to deal with this crap." He grumbled and made his way up with the help of a chair and made his way back for the door, and was out as soon as he came. You didn't look at your mother who was shocked and pissed off she lost her date, but at Ichigo, who actually seemed sad as he gazed down at the ground. He had the decency to glance at you at the last second when your mother burst in an uproar.

"Get out of my house!" she screamed.

"M-Mother!" you gasped, stepping to the side of Ichigo to see her. She was holding onto the stairwell for support since her partner left.

"You show disrespect in my home, you beat up and chase my date away, you're in here ALONE with my daughter, I want you out!" she yelled.

"Mother, please" you persisted forward, trying to comply, but when Ichigo grabbed your shoulder, you stopped.

"No, it's fine. Please, forgive me, it was rude." He muttered before stepping out the same way the other man left. You watched as he left, and stared at the door for a long moment after the lock clicked. Your mother uttered something before trudging up the stairs, but you didn't hear.

You were embarrassed, hurt, alone, confused, and now, angry. Embarrassed because your mother was acting so childish and irresponsible in front of a new friend you had just made. Hurt because after just making your first real friend, your mother, so wasted and drunk, banished him from your home after disrespecting him, only because she lost a date she would only know overnight. Alone, because now after all this chaos, you were the only one left standing in that hallway, stuck in time and unsure of what to do, which was confusing and frightening. Angry, because after your mother had never done anything for you, never caring for what you did or where you went or what happened to you, had suddenly decided to remove something from your life because in some weird chain, you took something from her.

Something from her she had countless before, and countless in the future.

As for you, you lost the first one you've ever had. You even barely had a taste of what it would be like to have a companion.

You ignored the tears that were collecting under your eyes after that door last closed, and rushed upstairs after your mother who was changing from her dress clothes to pajamas.

"You're a real selfish bitch, you know that?" you mumbled, standing strong at the door way, fists balled and eyes piercing like knives into her back.

"What did you say?" she hissed, not even turning to look at you. If she did, she might've gotten dizzy and fell.

"You come home drunk, every day, never make a single dinner, or even ask me any questions a usual mother would to their daughter. A daughter who's lead of the class and smartest in the school, a gift in academic minds, and you don't even turn an eye. You bring home strangers who don't even love you, while me, who still somehow shows any real affection for you is shunned off. I'm alone in this house, I'm alone at school, and for once in my life, I have someone who wants to be my friend, and you kick him out because he beat up your date. You're a monster, and a shame to your own household. Pull yourself together and maybe you can talk to me as an equal. Drunk bitch." You spat before running off.

Your mother never moved from spot during your speech, and never moved after you left.

You slammed the door behind you as you ran into the cold night of the city, glancing in all directions for a sign of life. Just up the hill, Ichigo had just made it across the street and onto the next block, about a quarter mile away. He was far, but if you ran, you could catch up.

And so you did. And you ran. You yelled his name, but the wind denied your call and blew it back down the road, away from the carrot top. The tears streamed uncontrollably from your eyes, which made them burn in the cold, blurring your vision, but you still had to run. Your lungs began to shrink from the chill, your school uniform leaving your thighs and legs bear to the wind, your arms having the same fate since the school had provided thin shirts.

You cried and cried, and realized how attached you were to him. What made him so special? His spunky outgoing attitude? Or maybe how he defended you, not thinking of himself for even a second. Was it possible that you looked up to him so much because he stood up for himself? You usually allowed people to push you around and do everything for them. Ichigo actually wanted to work with you, and put equal effort into this work as you did. He even stood up to a stranger and your mother, whom he barely knew. You could never stand up to your mother. You let her be who she was. But that was because you didn't want to invade on her happiness in life. Was she really happy though? You knew you weren't happy, but didn't mind. Was that really the way though? You had a right to your own happiness at least once, right?

You were doing this for your own happiness, to be with Ichigo, and it's the one happiness you'd have to keep for once rather than sacrifice it. You would repay your mother later for tonight, but now, it was about you.

"Ichigo!" you cried as the final gust of wind passed. Your cries reached the carrot top's ears as he stopped and turned over his shoulder, rather surprised you came after him. "Ichigo, wait!" you coughed, tripping a bit. The teenager sprinted forward back down the hill, only making a block before finally meeting up with you. You collapsed into his chest, fingers clutching tight to his shirt for support as you caught your breath, the quick inhales of freezing air replaced with warm intakes. You buried half your face into is clothing, taking a long minute to collect yourself before your body began to quiver in tears.

"Are you crying?" he gasped. You replied with a hiccup, making the boy's tense body relax a bit as his large arms wrapped around you, embracing you against him. You choked and quivered, nails digging and tearing into the cloth. Crying on his was embarrassing, but you were so envious, so jealous, you wanted to be strong like him, but knew you never could for a long time, and would have to live with the suffering longer. You didn't want to be alone anymore.

Ichigo sighed and closed his eyes, resting his chin on your head as he shouldered you quietly. Why was he so protective of you? Why was he being sure to clear the area around your home of hollows the night he rescued you from those thugs? Why did he care so much- why was he so infuriated with your mother home when she returned with that drunken ass? No mom should ever introduce their daughter to that, it was wrong in so many ways, and he wanted to yell at her so bad, but then again, he was alone with you in the house. Any parent would expect otherwise. And he disrespected and punched her date. What right did he have to that? But that whole time, he was just so worried that you could get hurt, he just wanted to defend you.

After a long time, you finally collected yourself, cheeks damp from the tears, eyes swollen, but your arms made their way around his waist, holding to close as he cradled you into him. The comforting hold went to a full on embrace slowly over time.

"Are you okay?" he asked softly, barely a whisper under the city noises up above them on the road.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just… angry." You wheezed. Your throat had become badly hoarse after your long rushed run.

"You have every right to be angry though. I know I would if my mother was like that." His fingers dug into your soft locks and stroked the back of your cranium, his other arm tightening around your back. You never realized how good his natural scent was, but that was probably because you were never so close to him before.

"It's my mother, I have to be respectful." You smiled faintly before looking up at him. "I have a right to happiness though, so I won't let anyone take that away from me."

For some reason, Ichigo raised his brows at this, rather surprised something like that would slip your lips, and blushed lightly.

He coughed "Stay over at my place tonight."

"Oh no, I could never-"

"Please… it will give me some peace of heart. Your mother is drunk and more than likely angry. I don't want to fall asleep worrying that you could get hurt." He persisted. Arguing with him would be a waste, so you agreed. He kept his arm tight around you as you both headed towards his house.

At first his father was ecstatic and a bit curious as to why Ichigo had suddenly invited a girl so late at night for, and you guessed he thought of something perverted since he muttered something about Condoms to his son. He got a punch in the face for that one, but his sisters seemed to greet you very warmly. The one named Yuzu offered you her room for the night, though you felt commanded rather than invited to, so you didn't really have any other choice. The last one, Karin, simply greeted you and ridiculed her father and younger sister as they questioned you further.

You swore that you and Ichigo were only friends and nothing more, but as you headed upstairs after a quick snack offered by the family, you caught Ichigo parting the bathroom, shirtless and damp towel on his head. Your cheeks flushed, but quickly averted your gaze to make it vanish.

"Oh, sorry, didn't see you there. Did my sisters get you situated well enough?" he smiled, tugging the towel down so it hung on his shoulders.

You nodded slightly "Yes." You squeaked. "Your sister is a very good cook."

Ichigo flashed a smile. "Yeah, she's been doing it for a long while now."

The two of you stood in the hall, not moving or speaking. You kept your eyes on the floor, not noting his eyes on you.

"Your mother.." he muttered, the subject making your head upsurge in shock. You didn't expect this subject to come up again. "Is she always like that?" he murmured with a scowl.

As much as you knew it would hurt him to tell that you dealt with her like this since you were 8, you had to tell him. He'd be tenacious and force the answer out of you anyways if not.

"Yes… for a long time actually." You breathed with a slight sneer. Ichigo grimaced at the answer, hoping his assumption wasn't true, nevertheless it was. "I learn to cope with it." You shrugged and pranced past him when he suddenly held onto your upper arm tightly. Your eyes met his brown ones and once again, you two stood close to each other, gazes deadlocked.

"If she ever brings any guys back over, come to my house. Promise?" he whispered earnestly, hazel eyes yearning you to do so. Once again, he'd be stubborn about it if you declined, and had to give into him once again. "Promise me." He commanded modestly.

You heaved a sigh "Fine, I promise."

A smile curled into is cheeks and he let you go to ruffle your hair. "Thanks. Well, see you in the morning." He muttered, eyes lax and heartfelt. His hand glided down from your hair to your cheek and brushed against the soft film, face heated by his touch before he trailed away to his room and shut the door.

You stood there, motionless, and in shock, unsure and dazed at the moment you just had. Your hands slowly lifted to your face, cupping your cheeks as your skin began to turn a deep rich ruby red, the butterflies in your stomach now fluttering like mad. You felt ready to melt before you bolted for your room and buried yourself in the sheets, face smothered by your pillow.

Why were you feeling like this? Why did everything feel so odd all of a sudden?

The question would linger in your mind so much that you would wake up at random for the rest of the night, the same query repeating over and over like a broken record and a pillow enfolded tight to your chest. You desired at one point that it could grow arms and return the squeeze.

The Next Few Days…

Moments down the week, you and Ichigo had grown seemingly close. You decided to spend the morning with him after you slept over before going back home in time for lunch. Your mother had left for work, but everything in the house felt okay. When she came home later on, she was out the door again in the next minute to go drinking. She'd never change and you knew that, so you just shook your head and used the house phone to call Ichigo and invite him for dinner in thanks for letting you stay over.

You both ate on the couch, laughing at some TV show about a guy who could cleanse evil spirits. He left just before your mom got home, but you had this goofy grin on you like you just got away with something devious. Life was starting to seem more exciting.

Once school started up again, you and Ichigo had decided to do a little more research into your topic, noting how big businesses in the area had such a large impact on the people of the city and how much small businesses had hard times to catch up. You both had it done by the second day of school, the project board now being finalized that afternoon. You decided to allow Ichigo the honor of gluing the conclusion and sighed with relief once everything was cleaned and put away.

Now you both had nothing to do really. The main reason you two had hung out so much was now done, except for the presentation on Friday, but that wasn't for 3 days. That wouldn't be hard, right? To entertain someone for that time?

Ichigo invited you downstairs to watch more TV. His sister had made sandwiches for the both of you, and so you agreed. Once again, the show with the ghost man came up, and while watching, your partner confessed to his secret that he could see spirits. It was rather interesting to you, but he thought you thought of him as a freak at this point. You questioned him more about it, at one point wondering if there were any in your home ((you suddenly realized the sudden cold chills in the hallway over the past few days.)) It made the boy laugh, but there were none in your household. Your neighborhood was actually very well purified of them.

While explaining a story of where he got involved with a spirit who had been troubled by punks, your mother banged open the door and stumbled into the house. She was more drunk than usual, and you could see it on her face which was very pale. You prayed she wouldn't notice you two, but she did, yet to your surprise, she didn't say anything and slugged back to her room. The both of you just shrugged and talked a bit more before Ichigo realized how late it was and rushed out. You bid him goodbye and went up to you room. For some reason, you had a bit of a hard time sleeping that night.

Day 9

Ichigo never showed up to class. It worried you a bit, but you guessed he got sick or something and tried to ignore it. Needless to say, it did bother you, and you found yourself thinking of him more and more every time you glanced over at his seat. You hid your face with your hands when you thought again on how he embraced you that one night, and the way his body heat was so warm when he left the shower. You bit your lip to distract yourself, but it didn't work. At lunch, you were about to go up on the roof, but then remembered you had no one there waiting for you. You barely knew the others, and trying to know them would make it awkward. Like before, you ate alone in class. It felt cold and lonely to be in that class all of a sudden, so unaided, you even lost your appetite. You guessed you were sick and went home early, leaving a note on the desk for your teacher. You already had the project done; there was no need for you to be there now.

You got home and changed to some tight white pants and a loose sweater. Making yourself a hot cup of tea, you snatched the thick comforter from your bed and curled up on the couch, flipping through the channels.

There were some odd cartoons on with bunnies, an ad for a restaurant down the road, the news talking about some explosion, some crime scene drama on the next channel, and giving up, you started watching some weird American movie. You hardly paid attention to it anyways as your mind eventually faded back towards Ichigo, wondering about him, a few memories replaying in your head. You were lost and mixed in your emotions for him now, multiple images of things that could happen flashing through your head.

When the door to the house opened, you never realized how long time has passed since you left school early. Your mother entered the household, just arriving from work, and flashed you a smile.

"School called, said you left early." You uttered quietly.

You gave her a awkward smile and shifted beneath the blankets. "I wasn't feeling so well."

She arched a brow. "Got a fever?" You shook her head to her query. "Well, stay warm tonight and head back to school tomorrow. Teacher called telling all the parents that your projects are due tomorrow." She waved her hand sluggishly before making her way to the kitchen. You watched with surprise as she made herself a small meal, ate, and went to her room, not returning to go out or anything. It had been a long time since you saw your mother NOT go out one night. The last time it happened, she had this new boyfriend who was a big-shot lawyer at some firm, but then cheated on her with a new client soon after. It ruined your mother and she didn't go to work for nearly a week, always drinking and reeking of alcohol.

Tonight she almost seemed… normal.

Change was in the air. Change that made your stomach twist and feel rather uncomfortable. These bizarre feelings for Ichigo, your attachment to him, how your decisions were now being changed and personality formed in his hands like putty, then your mother, now acting like a human being.

With a click, the tellie went off and you darted away to your room, hidden beneath your comforter like a cloak that could make you invisible.

You rolled around in bed till the covers form a cocoon like protection over your body, your cheek rested in the pillow as you looked out a near-by window. A phone line pillar stood tall next to your house, the cables providing bridges for squirrels and perches for birds, and a few houses just behind it before the decline of the hill hid away the other buildings.

Setups played in your head like a movie, changing themes every few minutes or so. The horror of him never wanting to be your friend anymore, the sci-fi that he could be some strange being from another dimension with amazing powers or spirits, the tragedy that he could've been hunted down by the thugs who attacked before and possibly killed, the comedy that he probably fell down and hurt himself which was why he couldn't be at school today. Once romance came about the cycle, your mind started to work. Was he having these peculiar feelings also? Were they so bad that he couldn't bear to see her? What if he really did like it? That would mean the tow of you could date, and-

You passed out before you could finish the thought.

Day 10

Your alarm impolitely awoke you the next morning after your heavy sleep, the dream you had erased by your flash of hate for the little clock. You dressed yourself and collected your belongings, along with the project board, and headed out the door. To the school's luck, it was a short day, due to some explosion near the school, so your teacher only had asked that everyone present their assignments and then leave.

When you entered the class and the bell rung, to your delight and anticipation, Ichigo was in his seat, starting at the board. He flashed you a smile when your eyes locked, and you returned the same. You sighed with relief, a strange silent prayer made now accomplished.

You and Ichigo would be the first to present, since the teacher knew you'd do exceptionally well and would like to know at least once group did an outstanding job before being depressed over the failed attempts of the other students.

The both of you were the only ones to have a project like the one you two made, and could see the bonus credit shine in the instructor's eyes. Orihime and Uryu did very well, along with Rukia and Chad, a few other students passing the requirements while the few others hardly did much at all…

During the presentations though, you couldn't help but stare at your partner every once in a while, quickly avoiding your gaze when he caught you looking. You felt sick again, and wanted to leave. The last group was taking a pretty long time to present as one student kept flirting with the teacher.

Ichigo did have feelings for you, but hid it well. He made sure no hollows would come near your house, and would actually watch over your neighborhood for trouble when Rukia didn't have him hounding down another hollow. Yesterday was a pretty tough match, which was why he was gone that day, his injuries pretty severe. He thought about you that whole day, and when Rukia noticed his distractions, told him to confess your feelings to him. Today was the day for him, and the soul reaper was watching you like a wolf over a wounded deer.

The bell rang and you hurried to grab your things before dashing out the door, another student shoving you against the door which made you drop a notebook. Sadly, the floors had to be waxed, and the little pad skidded across the surface back into the class. You went after it, but as you took hold of the binding, someone else had grabbed it. You looked up to see Ichigo on one knee above you, contemplating upon your features. You could feel his warm breath blow over your cheeks, making you flush. He took the notepad from your hold and held it under his arm, then educating a hand out to you.

"Need help?" he smiled. You shook your head wildly, blowing a whiff of your tangerine scented shampoo up his nostrils before cowering to your feet.

"I have to go." You gasped before zipping down the hall. The boy was faster though, and later pinned you into a darker corner of the building, the shadows hiding your from view. His hands were pinned on both sides of your head against the cold white walls, body caving in on top of yours, chin close to your temple as you looked down to hide away.

Now he was acting weird and you could tell.

He could tell you were acting weird too though.

"Something's been bother you. I can tell." He breathed. You yipped, but said nothing. Would you try to run? He would chase you down. Avoid the subject? He was determined, you knew that.

Woman instinct, and in and instant, you found yourself running down the street, just a block from your home. Door locked, windows shut, lights off, you sat in your bedroom, knees hugged to your chest. Your body was quaking, fingers twitching and sweat running down the side of your head.

What was he just trying to do? What could he have done to you in that hall? Nothing was making sense now, your mind had been strained the past day or so, you barely slept, and it was to no surprise you passed out.

Later that Night…

Tap tap tap at the window, Ichigo was perched on the small fire escape, looking around the room for you, but the shadow of the wall had cloaked you very well. He was trying hard not to knock too hard, but he was barely even tapping at it. He had been thinking things over for hours and guessed that his first approach wasn't the best, but it was hard to hold himself back when he wanted to express these wordless feelings that bothered him. He wanted to explain and get answers, and that would be simply enough for him. He thought about knocking at the front door, but was afraid you either wouldn't hear him, or your mom would show up drunk to the door. It was a bit wrong he had to climb the fire escape, but hey, a boy will do crazy things when he likes a girl a lot.

Knocking a bit tougher with his knuckle, the noise woke you straight from your slumber and you jerked right up. Ichigo caught your movement and smiled in the direction, flashing you a friendly wave. You groaned and rolled your eyes before crawling off the bed and opening the window.

"Are you crazy?" you hissed, glancing out to see if anyone was watching. The carrot top just chuckled and leaned forward towards you.

"I'm a rebel, what can you do." He whispered again with a bit more husk by your ear, making your face glow red, even in the night, and pulled away to shove the window closed in his face when he stopped it with his hand and hopped in.

"Now now, I just got up here. Gonna kick me out already?" he smirked, closing the windows behind him quietly.

"What you're doing is breaking and entering, and I could call the cops for that." You huffed, arms crossed in front of your chest.

"Didn't break anything. You invited me in by opening the window." He winked which made you sulk more. "I came to talk actually." He exhaled, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Couldn't do it by phone?" you raised a brow.

"You didn't answer."

"Maybe because I don't want to talk." You shrugged.

Ichigo was now forcing to keep up his grin and now snap at you. "Well then shut your mouth and let ME talk." He hissed kindly. You just rolled your eyes and looked up at him, the night's light illuminating the room well enough for him to see your face.

Now he had you, but he didn't know what to say. Everything he planned to tell was now gone.

"I'm waiting." You said dryly, tapping your foot.

"I just… Well… you see." He shrugged like a turtle, trying to hide away in a shell that didn't exist.

"You have two seconds before I call the police."

"What?!"

"One…" you smirked.

Ichigo groaned deeply. "I like you, okay?!" he snarled. You blinked in surprise, a bit of blush staining your cheeks.

"You like me?"

"That's what I just said." He grumbled, hands shoved into his pockets and gaze turned towards some pictures you had hanging up on the walls that he couldn't see.

You kicked your feet a bit, the whole mess in your head now feeling as if all the pieces had made sense from the beginning.

"I had… no idea." You chuckled a bit. Ichigo sighed quietly, a bit of blush of his own now showing in his cheeks.

"Is that all you had to tell me?"

The teenager turned to look down at you in surprise. "What?"

"You said what you had to say. If that's all, you can get out." You pointed at the window. He was going to leave the same way he came back in.

"Wait, I just told you my feelings, and you're going to kick me out?" he gasped in disbelief. Usually in a big passionate scene like this, someone also confesses their feelings and they kiss and happily ever after, but you just proved him wrong about that.

"I told you that I had nothing to say-"

"Then show me!" he demanded before cupping your face, pulling your lips up to his. He was going to get this romantic scene whether you wanted to or not.

It was clear that you liked him, so he had nothing really to lose. Plus, Renji told him that women like the dominant forceful type of guys. Rukia argued against it by pointing out his current girlfriend who could whoop his ass anytime.

You were sedated in the kiss, your muscles seeming to deny your command as your body heat was shared between him. The wave of blush and shock slowly faded into relaxation and lethargy, followed by the sudden growth of passion and expression. Your arms obeyed this sudden power and made their way up to his shirt, holding tightly to his collar to keep him down on you. The teenager took this as a signal to deepen the kiss before you two had forgotten one important thing.

Air.

Pulling away, you glanced between his lips and eyes as he did for you before you two exploded into a fit of chuckles and giggles.

"That a good enough explanation?" you muttered under your breath.

"Yeah, that was good." He nodded, kissing your temple.

"Good." You sighed, before pulling his hands down gently. "Now, get out before my mom finds us."

"She never checks on you anyways. I could spend the night and she wouldn't know." He winked. Now he was acting like a flirtatious 'in love' cocky teenager. You chuckled and opened the window.

"Too early for that Romeo. See you tomorrow." You gestured to the outside. The strawberry sighed and kissed your lips gently before stepping out.

"Sleep well." He murmured.

"Good night Ichigo." You smiled warmly before he went down the fire escape and jumped to the ground. He glanced up at you, finding you watching him with your chin rested in your palm, giving him a cute little wave. He flashed you a wink and pranced away down the alley.

You watched silently as he got close to the corner. "Lucky me." You sighed before closing the window after he vanished.

**TCz: OH! MY GOD! That took forever. ((was so close to the 20 page mark TT_TT)) but anways, yeah, Ichigo x Reader. I did this one for my sister, and was actually wanting it to be a little tiny one, but then it ended up being some HUGE shibam that took me almost a week to finally put together. I have to say, it took a LOT of thinking, planning, editing, etc, and before I wrap this up, would like to thank my sister for proof reading a few parts. ((had to limit her so the story wouldn't be a huge ruin for her ;D ))**


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